Cardiff City boss Russell Slade held a press conference on Friday ahead of the trip to League leaders Brighton. WalesOnline reported the following:
On the agenda were injury problems, Semi Ajayi's departure and his reflections on his first year in charge.
This is how the conversation unfolded...
What is the injury news - how is Lee Peltier for example?
He’s resumed training and recovered from what was a dead leg so he’s available. We’ve a few little concerns which we’ll know more about after today’s training.
Lee Peltier
Longer term, how are others progressing?
I spoke to Ben Turner yesterday who has started to make progress and he might be on the grass next week to do some individual fitness work. We’ll start testing him out and he can step it up. He did have a spell where it's been sore but we can test it out.
Is there a target in mind for him?
Ben Turner has been out for months
We said eight to 10 weeks initially and that hasn’t changed but after the reconstruction of the ankle we’re pleased with it, it’s looking sound, he’s had another scan to show it’s fine. It’s good news because he’s had problems but we’re confident we can overcome them this time around.
You allowed Semi Ajayi to join Wimbledon on loan. Why?
Semi Ajayi has joined Wimbledon for a month
He’s gone to get some games on his CV and that experience of playing on a Saturday where it matters and you're fighting for points, it will do him the world of good. I see him here long-term. He’s a younger player who has almost grown out of the Under 21s and the next step is to go out and get some games in the lower leagues. There’s a possibility others could go out if there is the right move for them – we already have a few out like Rhys Healy. Adedeji Oshilaja is out on loan but he's picked up a bit of knee injury with his cartlidge.
Related: Semi Ajayi DOES have a future at Cardiff City – insists Russell Slade
Brighton are top of the league and unbeaten – is the game a yardstick for your own progress?
I think every week is a yardstick because you play new opposition in the first-half of the season. But, yes, Brighton have set the standard in the Championship. Chris has done a great job in organising them and they look a different side to the one that struggled last year.
How far away are you from that level?
I’ll tell you on 5pm Saturday. I’m hoping we’re very close, we’ll give it our best and try and get a positive result. It will be challenge but one we will embrace.
When you're top of the league this early does it bring a pressure to stay there, that you're there to be shot at?
That pressure builds every week, the games can get harder, but momentum is a wonderful thing sometimes in that groove you don’t always play at your best but can get a result because of the confidence flowing through the team. I won the first 8 out of 8 at Leyton Orient a few seasons ago and we weren’t fantastic in every game but we could get the wins because of confidence. You need consistency throughout the season.
On Tuesday it will be a year since you were appointed. How have you found the last 12 months?
Challenging, but every manager is in that situation. You have to embrace them and overcome any problems. It was difficult place in the first few months because numbers in the squad and the fitness levels were the two biggest concerns, but we are now more together as a football club and have a greater understanding on the pitch after that time period. We have rules here now and as a football club on and off the field we’re in a more stable position than we were when I came in.
Russell Slade is carried off by the fans after keeping Brighton up in 2009
Has it been more difficult than you imagined?
At times. We’ve had issues to deal with, but that’s part and parcel of what a manager has to do.
You've had things off the field to deal with, the emotion of the colour change and winning the fans over – has that made it harder?
You have to prioritise things in all walks of life, my focus here is always fully on the team and it has to be showing we are trying to improve and progress with the group we have. I have had to navigate that and I think we have done that reasonably well. Can we do better? Yes, and I have asked for improvement from players this week. We want to get better and I wouldn’t ask them if I didn’t think they had it in them.
If you're more stable, you must be pleased to have reached that level?
Cardiff have started the season well
Yes. There will be a degree of satisfaction in what we’ve achieved at times but it never stops, there’s always something that you need to focus on and move forward, a different problem or obstacle. You can never lose sight on ensuring on the pitch we’re competitive and we’re improving and giving our best week in, week out.
If more stable, are you in a better position to set goals for the future?
Our goal has always been the top six, that’s been our main target. We’re in one of those slots right now, but it means nothing at this moment of the season, it's very early. But at least it's an indicator that we have made progress. We need to make more, regardless of what happens on Saturday, the goals will not change.
Are you more comfortable here now?
It’s a tough job being a football manager and not in my nature to be comfortable. I possibly feel I have more control, that we're going more in the direction I wanted it to go in with a smaller squad and style of play, little issues like that people have seen as a problem at times.
But I've stuck to my principles playing narrow midfield one side, a No.10 - little things have dropped into place better for me with Joe Mason coming back and Pilkington and Dikgacoi being fit which has given us a better look. The bench is strong now, there is good competition for places now, all those that are not in the XI want to get in the XI now.
And you understand them and they understand you better now?
We understand each other better, there’s a real trust between me and my players. There's a growing belief in what we're about. They know their own jobs and each other’s jobs better. When you’re together, I’m a big believer that can have best XI individuals but if you're not working together, put you body on the line for each other not able to trust the man next to you, and don't have those qualities you can't have any long term success.
Has it been harder to turn things around than you expected?
There has been a little frustration it didn’t happen more quickly but there are only certain things you can control. When you can control your own environment it helps and you have a chance. Mason being on loan, Pilkington unfit, you can’t control, but we’re controlling more things now and that's been better for us.
You said judge you after 12 games. We're close to that – are you where you expected to be?
Our desire was to be in and around top six from an early stage and we’re in and around there.
Do you set mini-targets, blocks of games and have you been ticking the box?
We do as a staff, four or five games and the return. We ticked the first block, the second one will go to the wire tomorrow.